A 5-year-old girl was critically injured after police say a Husky grabbed her by the neck, dragged her into its yard and shook her.

CLEARFIELD — A 5-year-old girl was critically injured after police say a Husky grabbed her by the neck, dragged her around its yard and shook her.

The incident happened about 8:20 a.m. Sunday at 2268 S. 300 West. A young girl and her family from South Ogden were visiting relatives in Clearfield, when one of them heard her screaming.

They ran outside to see what was wrong, and found the girl being dragged by a neighbor's 3-year-old Husky who was, "pulling the girl over the three-and-a-half foot fence into the yard directly south of the residence. The dog had the girl by the throat, and according to the uncle, the dog was shaking and dragging the girl around the yard," according to a statement from Clearfield police.

The uncle jumped into the neighbor's yard and got the dog to release the girl who suffered serious neck injuries.

Across the street, Curtis Thomas had just gotten home from working an overnight shift.

"I was making a little breakfast, and I just heard a lot of screams going outside. And all that I saw was a guy running across the yard, jumped over the fence, and saw him just carrying this little girl over the railing really fast," he said. "From what I heard, they were doing like a little campground in the backyard with the family. She just woke up earlier than everyone else and I think she wanted to go play with the dog or there was something back there that she wanted to get. But she climbed the fence."

The family began driving the girl to the hospital while calling 911. Davis County Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics met the family halfway and then transported her by ambulance to Davis Hospital before a medical helicopter took her to Primary Children’s Medical Center.

"They had run to the hospital with the girl. Then they came over and told us she was at Primary Children's and in critical condition. And so, for now, we really don't know what's going on. We just know she lost a lot of blood," neighbor Shelby Parker said.

The Clearfield Police Department said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

At the house where the girl's relatives live, they declined comment except for saying the young girl was at the hospital and thought she would pull through. The dog's owner declined comment.

Several neighbors told the Deseret News they didn't know much about the Husky except that they had seen it in its yard a lot, but they had never seen it acting aggressively toward anyone.

The family who owns the Husky agreed to have the dog euthanized, Davis County Animal Services told police.

Animal control officers reportedly took possession of the dog pending an investigation.

"My prayers go out to her and her family. I hope that she pulls through with this and God be with her. It was real scary to see," Thomas said.

Pat is a veteran police and courts reporter for the Deseret News and KSL and has covered some of the biggest stories in Utah for the past two decades. He is a graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in journalism.